An Elder Sister Who Cared for Her Younger Brother

(The chapter had already passed pre-review, so please go easy on it, dear reviewer.)

At the sound of Zhao Linchuan's voice, Dugu Yan froze mid-motion.

She slowly lifted her head. The Azure Python Serpent Emperor's throat moved involuntarily as she swallowed a mouthful of strong liquor.

Her cheeks were as red as blooming peonies, delicate and radiant. With her Martial Soul Possession active, her gaze was hazy, carrying a hint of triumphant cunning and shyness.

She wiped the liquor from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, forced herself to remain calm, and spouted nonsense in a perfectly serious tone, as if she were doing something proper:

"It's nothing~ As an elder sister, I was just checking on my younger brother's External Soul Bone progress~"

She stood up and unhurriedly tidied her dress, which had become somewhat disheveled due to her Martial Soul Possession. Her gaze pointedly fell on the Martial Soul in Zhao Linchuan's hand, and a smile blending satisfaction and seduction appeared on her face as she added:

"Now that I've seen it... the External Soul Bone has improved wonderfully, and your Soul Power Level is very healthy too~"

Having said that, she gave Zhao Linchuan no chance to question her further. She turned around and walked toward the door with steps that appeared composed but were actually somewhat flustered.

When she reached the doorway, she stopped without looking back, leaving behind only words that brushed over his heart like feathers and stirred endless imagination--

"I'm going to wash up. Tonight... if the poison makes you uncomfortable... you can... wait for me in my room. I'll help detoxify you."

It was not until the door gently closed that Zhao Linchuan fully came back to his senses.

Still bewildered, he propped himself up and sat up, feeling the Azure Python Serpent Emperor Poison that had yet to fully dissipate from his body, while replaying Dugu Yan's final words and that meaningful look in her eyes...

"Tonight... 'poisoned... wait for her...?'"

He murmured to himself, "How about..."

On the Other Side, Dugu Yan hurriedly washed up in a fluster, then went to her mother Yan Cailing's room with an anxious yet shy heart.

"Mother... I... I..." She stood at the doorway, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. Her cheeks were crimson, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Seeing her daughter's hesitant appearance, her spring-filled eyes carrying a trace of distress, Yan Cailing understood, though she was also somewhat puzzled.

As someone with experience, she could naturally tell that her daughter had not lost her maiden yin and was still a virgin. Yet this demeanor was clearly the sort that came only after some intimate contact.

Without giving anything away, she rose and carefully shut the doors and windows. Only after making sure there were no ears beyond the walls did she pull her daughter over to sit beside the bed and ask:

"Yan Yan, tell Mother the truth. What happened? Did you... and that kid Lin Chuan... do something?"

Dugu Yan's face reddened even more, nearly dripping blood. She shook her head. "No... really, no... Lin Chuan... he drank too much... he had no Soul Power, so he simply... simply couldn't fight..."

Yan Cailing raised an eyebrow and pressed on, "Then what was it? He was that drunk—what could he have done to you?"

"It... it was like this..." Dugu Yan was overwhelmed by embarrassment, but she still described in halting fragments how she had "checked the External Soul Bone" in the bathroom and bedroom earlier, as well as the argument they had had at the Soul Fighting Arena.

After listening, Yan Cailing was initially stunned. Then she could not help but burst into laughter and gently tapped her daughter's forehead with a finger.

"Silly girl! You... you really are bold! But... hehe, you'll have a blessed life from now on."

She smiled meaningfully, then lowered her voice. "Come, while we have time, Mother will teach you some... truly useful things, so you won't be at a loss later, or let him look down on you..."

Over the following period, Yan Cailing gave her daughter some "premarital education." Its bold and explicit content left Dugu Yan blushing furiously and staring in astonishment, as though the door to a new world had opened before her.

Still, she forced down her embarrassment and firmly committed every bit of her mother's "wisdom from experience" to heart.

After digesting this shocking knowledge, Dugu Yan lifted her watery eyes and asked with confusion and anticipation:

"Mother... then... if Lin Chuan really waits for me in my bedroom tonight... should I... be more proactive... or... struggle a little and seem more reserved?"

Deep down, she wanted to take the initiative, but she feared seeming insufficiently ladylike.

Hearing this, Yan Cailing considered it seriously, then shook her head and poured a bucket of cold water over her daughter.

"Yanzi, based on what Mother knows about my future son-in-law, he... most likely won't wait for you in your room."

"Why?" Dugu Yan asked, confused.

"It's simple." Yan Cailing analyzed, "Think about it. Your grandfather is home right now, and your father and I are here too."

"In the dead of night, if he really dared sneak into your bedroom and made any noise... with your grandfather's cultivation, do you think he wouldn't hear it?"

"When that happens, would your grandfather carry a stick over to beat him up? Or would he cheerfully squat in the corner and listen?"

"Wouldn't either option be awkward for you two?"

"Ah?!" At the thought of such a scene, Dugu Yan's sense of shame exploded. Covering her face, she wailed, "Mother! You... you can't do that!"

"Even if your father and I pretend not to know," Yan Cailing continued, "that shameless old man, and that little girl Zhu Zhuqing whom your grandfather brought back with Lin Chuan... it's hard to say what they might do. They might even watch the entire thing."

Dugu Yan shuddered at once.

"Then... then what should I do?" she asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Mother will teach you." A crafty glint flashed through Yan Cailing's eyes. This time, she came up with a genuinely workable idea. "Tonight, use cultivating with Lin Chuan in the Herb Garden as an excuse. In truth... go out 'camping' with him."

"Remember to stay far away from the family residence, so no one can disturb you."

She paused and looked at her daughter meaningfully. "As for the rest... Mother doesn't need to teach you hand in hand, does she? A young man who has just tasted the forbidden fruit and now craves more is the least capable of holding himself back."

"It's just that... my good daughter, tonight you may have to... suffer quite a bit." Her tone carried a hint of heartache, but even more encouragement.

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. She nodded thoughtfully. "I understand! I'll go prepare right away!"

"Wait." Yan Cailing stopped her daughter as she turned to leave. She took a small jade bottle from her Soul Tool, stuffed it into Dugu Yan's hand, and instructed her in a low voice:

"Take this with you, just in case. At a critical moment, if he... well... lacks stamina, or gets nervous and fails at the crucial moment, this will come in handy."

Dugu Yan took the jade bottle. At first, she was stunned, but she quickly understood what it was. The blush that had just faded from her face surged back, and she looked at her mother in shock.

"Mother... you... how do you have this...?"